Preview: Galway Festival Day 1

The marathon Galway Festival gets under way at 5.10, with a feast of mouthwatering racing in prospect over the next seven days.

The carlton.ie/galwaycity (QR) Handicap is the most valuable race of day one, and the hat-trick-seeking Rajik will be trying to land the biggest pot of his career to date.

Charlie Swan's four-year-old has run out a convincing winner on both his last two starts, but could find recent Curragh scorer Truckers Delight tougher at the weights than when beating him at Gowran Park last month.

Indian Pace may have bigger fish to fry in the Galway Hurdle later in the week but cannot be discounted, while Sophocles is not consistent but has claims on his best form.

Dermot Weld is the master of this meeting and has strong claims in the radissonhotelgalway.com EBF Maiden with Stunning View.

The regally-bred colt had subsequent winner Viscount Nelson toiling behind when second on his debut and he has the edge on form over Aidan O'Brien's Banyan Tree, though any support for National Stakes entry Maverick Man must be noted.

Weld has two likely types in the irelandhotels.com INH Flat Race with newcomers New Rules and Natural High, but local trainer Paul Gilligan could scupper plans of victory with the promising Honours Graduate, who impressed when second at Downpatrick last time.

The meeting kicks off with the ghotel.ie & hotelmeyrick.ie Novice Hurdle, which could go the way of Wikaala.

An easy winner at Ballinrobe last time, he looks to be improving rapidly, which could help him see off last-time-out winners Black Coffee and Honour The World, while Bellewstown third Gratified cannot be ruled out with any confidence.

Hunting Tower has been farming British races of late and can strike back at home in the galwaybayhotel.com Handicap Hurdle, while the claregalwayhotel.ie Handicap looks an open affair, with Spavento, Ucanchoose and No Trimmings all holding strong claims.